Editing for Writers by a Fellow Writer

I’m Jen Grogan, a freelance editor and writer based out of the Seattle area. I specialize in editing science fiction, fantasy, and romance, and have experience with academic editing and editing for non-profits. Currently I serve on the board of the Northwest Independent Editors Guild, and am a member of the Editorial Freelancer's Association.

Copyediting

Confident of your organization and meaning but not quite sure you've dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's? Nervous about semicolons, or not quite sure about your comma use? Eight Arms Editing can help!

Line Editing

Sometimes you've got the plot in your head, but the words just won't come out in the right order. Maybe you're struggling with descriptions, or you want a professional eye on how your paragraphs flow together. That's where line editing comes in.

Developmental Editing

Half editor, half writing coach, all focused on making your manuscript the best it can be! A developmental editor's job is to help you fine-tune your plot, uncover your characters' motivations, and navigate the twists and turns of a growing novel.

Web Content

Need help with your website copy? Have a great business but aren't sure how you can write text that will bring in customers? What you need is a web content specialist with nine years of experience in the field, and Eight Arms Editing is here for you.

Recent Posts

Recently, a good friend of my husband's was surprised by an email from a publisher of software books--they wanted him to write a book on a new platform he specializes in working with. He was a little surprised, and more than a little daunted. He'd never written a book before, and as much as he was excited by the prospect, he wasn't sure what it would mean. He definitely wasn't sure what the publisher was looking for out of the document they asked him to put together: a book proposal. Fortunately, nonfiction book proposals really aren't as daunting as they may appear to the first-timer, and a lot of what they're about transfers to fiction as well.
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In writing and editing, we talk a lot about raising the stakes and making sure that there’s enough tension in your story. But how can you do that? One way that I really like is to make your characters choose between the thing they thought mattered most to them and the thing that they’ve now discovered matters more.
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The last year has been a busy and, recently, a very difficult one as my husband and I dealt with a deeply personal loss, but as I thought about how I could get back into posting here on my blog, I was inspired by the story of an octopus (of course) named Inky who recently made his grand escape from an aquarium in New Zealand. Inky slipped out of his tank after it was inadvertently left ajar after some maintenance, presumably waving a watery farewell to his tank-mate who remained, and hauled himself across the floor to a drain. Lucky for Inky, the drain let out into the ocean.
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A lot of beginning writers get discouraged when writing teachers tell them the old chestnut “Write what you know.” They might feel this means they don’t have anything interesting to contribute, because they haven’t lived through the kind of adventures they want to write about. Maybe they’re students, or maybe they’re stuck in a dead-end job, or maybe they’re a stay-at-home parent… what’s happened to them that would be worth writing about?
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While Harper Lee’s editor and publisher swear up and down that she’s excited to publish her "new" book (actually not so much a prequel as her original draft of what turned out to be To Kill a Mockingbird), the reasons to be dubious of their claims keep stacking up. As exciting as it is to think of a new book by the beloved Lee, who until now only had one published novel to her name, significant caution is warranted.
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Ms. Grogan excelled in finding troublesome or overworked sentences and transitions and making them flow smoothly, while making sure the writing remained in my voice. All of her edits were clearly explained, and she welcomed any additional questions...

Mariah Erlick, Student

I recently worked with Jen Grogan on an article for submission to a top tier academic journal. Ms. Grogan was professional and clear in all of her communications with me, and the work she did on my article was excellent! Not only did she carefully comb through the entire article, but she made sure it conformed to the journal’s formatting and style guide...

Kari Greenswag, Ph.D., Philosophy

Her criticisms are sharp and professional, and she is always willing to discuss a plot point or a problem character to find a solution that works best for both author and story. I highly recommend Jen Grogan to anyone looking for a dedicated developmental editor or a copy-editor.